World's Largest Flower

 World's Largest Flower

    The Titan Arum is called the "world's largest flower." It is often called something else, though. Some people call it "Mr. Stinky."

    The Titan was first found in Indonesia. It has one large leaf shaped like an umbrella. But this is not a leaf you would see growing in most gardens. It can grow to be 20 feet high and 15 feet across. The stem of the leaf is as big as a person's thigh! But the leaf is not the most interesting part of the plant. It's the flower of the Titan that gets all the attention.

    The Titan has only one flower. What an amazing flower it is. The flower is more than 7 feet tall. That's taller than most grown men! The flower only lasts two to three days. It's not a flower anyone would want to sniff, though. The flower of the Titan Arum gives off a strong odor. The smell has been described as "rotting fish with burnt sugar." The stinky odor lasts about eight hours.